Not a personal best!

Well, It’s Tuesday, and my calf is still tender. I thought I was prepped to run Sunday and felt great churning out the first three miles in comfortable 8:20 minutes per mile. But the calf started in on me at mile 6, and from then on, it was all struggle. By the break point near mile 11 I knew I couldn’t make the marathon route. Embarassed but hurting too much to care, I veered left with the half marathoners. I knew there were thousands of runners behind me, but that was little solace.

After 150+ mararthons I am slowly learning that injuries can slow you down. Trying a comeback too soon can only make it worse. But no one ever said runners were smart, just dedicated. Ice baths, self massages, ibuprofen, and soft music all are helping. So is enjoying my friends’ accounts of their marathon experiences. Hey, we’re all in this together, and we’ll get to run another day.